Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokey Largo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yokey Largo’, characterized by its uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal; eary flowering habit; small anemone-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; bronze-colored ray florets and reddish purple-colored disc florets; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yokey Largo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yokey Largo’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in February, 1999 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-6403, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4447, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in March, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in June, 2001. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yokey Largo has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yokey Largo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yokey Largo’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform, compact and somewhat outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.     -   5. Can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal.     -   6. Early flowering, eight week response time.     -   7. Small anemone-type inflorescences with elongated         oblong-shaped ray florets.     -   8. Bronze-colored ray florets and reddish purple-colored disc         florets.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have light pink-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more outwardly spreading than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yolafayette, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,756. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yolafayette in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yolafayette         differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yolafayette         have yellow-colored ray florets.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yolafayette         differ in disc floret color as plants of the cultivar         Yolafayette have golden yellow-colored disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yokey Largo’ grown as spray-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yokey Largo’ grown as spray-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the spring in Salinas, Calif., in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of these plants, the following conditions were measured: day temperatures, 21° C. to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17° C. to 19° C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yokey     Largo. -   Commercial classification: Anemone-type potted Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-6403,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4447,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous anemone-type potted Chrysanthemum             that can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal.             Upright with lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading;             uniformly mounded crown; compact growth habit. Strong and             freely branching growth habit; about four lateral branches             develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and             full plants.         -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 32 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 5.9 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: More green than 147B. Venation, upper surface:             Close to 147A to 147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to             147B. Petiole length: About 1.9 cm. Petiole diameter: About             3 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Petiole color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Petiole color,             lower surface: Close to 146A to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Anemone-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering             habit; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night             conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night             conditions flower about eight weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray-type, about             five per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             6.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—Small, about 4.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.75 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Corolla tube length: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong.             Apex: Mostly acute. Base: Fused into a corolla tube. Margin:             Entire. Orientation: Initially upright to eventually             perpendicular to the peduncle. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets             per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in a single whorl.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 6A overlain with close to 46A. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 6A underlain with close to             53A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Length: About 1.75 cm. Diameter, apex: About 5 mm. Diameter,             base: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular; enlarged. Apex:             Five-pointed. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 130. Color: Immature: Close to 187A. Mature, apex:             Close to 9A overlain with 59A. Mature, mid-section: Close to             9A more faintly overlain with 59A. Mature, base: Close to             144A, towards the base, close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in             about two to three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Waxy, smooth.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.7 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Angle: About 45° from             vertical. Color: 144A to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Pollen amount: None. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and             disc florets. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: Close             to 144C. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial greenhouse conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yokey Largo’, as illustrated and described. 